Rotowire

Two of the best teams clashed Wednesday, as Kings Guard Gaming took on Blazer5 Gaming in the game of the night. The contest – featuring last year’s 2K League MVP Mama Im Dat Man facing off against talented rookie point guard Bash – lived up to the hype. Blazer5 Gaming took a 41-30 lead into halftime of Game 1, though the game was more competitive than the score indicated. KGG came out swinging in the second half and went on a huge 24-11 run in the third quarter to take a 54-52 lead into the final frame. With just under two minutes to play, the score was 63-61, though the patented Kings defense fueled a quick 6-0 run to take a 69-61 lead in the final minute.

Powered by their star power, Blazer5 Gaming was a two-man wrecking crew in the first game with Mama Im Dat Man going for 33 points and nine assists and OneWildWalnut going for 17 points and 15 boards. Conversely, Kings Guard Gaming got a well-balanced effort from its entire squad, as every player hit double-digit scoring. Seemo, Yusuf_Scarbz and rookie Bash led the way with 15 apiece, while Dat Boy Shotz finished with a 10-point, 13-rebound effort including some important offensive boards in the final minutes.

Blazer5 Gaming came out strong in the first quarter of Game 2 to take an early 21-7 lead, though KGG responded with a big second quarter and led 40-34 at halftime. Blazer5 Gaming stormed back in third quarter to tie the game 52-52 before heading into the fourth quarter. Just like Game 1, a late run led to a victory, but the script was flipped. Up 64-62 with two minutes to play, Blazer5 Gaming closed the game on a 10-1 run to seal the victory and notch the series at a game apiece. Mama Im Dat Man double-doubled with 16 points and 17 assists, OneWildWalnut managed 14 points and 21 rebounds and Hood led the offense with 19 points. For KGG, Bash finished with a game-high 24 points, while Dat Boy Shotz went for 15 points, 15 boards and seven assists.

In the decisive Game 3, KGG took control early and never looked back. Sporting a 15-point lead at halftime, Sacramento blew the game open in the third quarter and took a 59-39 into the fourth quarter to cruise to a comfortable 74-57 victory. Bash led all scorers with 31, while Dat Boy Shotz messed around and got a triple-double with 10 points, 18 boards and 10 assists. Mama Im Dat Man unsurprisingly paced Blazer5 Gaming in scoring while OneWildWalnut went for 17 points and eight rebounds.

Blazer5 Gaming suffers its second straight loss after starting the season undefeated and falls to 4-2. With the win, Kings Guard Gaming improves to 5-2 and takes a half-game lead over Blazer5 Gaming in the 2K League standings.